The present invention relates to a hardware configuration, a general packet radio services support node and method for implementing general packet radio services (GPRS) in the Global System for Mobile communications.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is an emerging European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI) standard for a new set of bearer services which augment those services already available for the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications. GPRS is based on end-to-end transfer of packet-mode data among users over the GSM. GPRS requires a packet-mode only overlay network on GSM to provide both point-to-point (PTP) and point-to-multipoint (PTM) mobile packet data service.
The underlying network infrastructure for GSM is circuit-switched and voice-band. GPRS adds packet-mode data transfer capability to GSM. The additional capabilities of GPRS allows GSM to support a much larger repertoire of additional mobile services using packet-mode data transfer. This is important since today""s users of cellular technology are demanding mobile access to more and more data based services, such as access to the Internet and other information services.
Traffic characteristics of packet-mode data effectively supported by GPRS ranges from intermittent, bursty data transfer, to frequent transmissions of xe2x80x9csmallxe2x80x9d amounts of data, to occasional transmissions of xe2x80x9clargexe2x80x9d amounts of data. Data transmission is generally considered xe2x80x9cburstyxe2x80x9d when the interval between successive transmissions greatly exceeds the average transfer delay. xe2x80x9cSmallxe2x80x9d amounts of data, or small message services, are typically those where a few hundred octets at a time are frequently transferred. Transactions consisting of several kilobytes of data occurring at a rate of up to several transactions per hour constitute an example of infrequent transmission of large amounts of data.
As noted, a system for implementing GPRS must support PTP and PTM beater services, while other GSM services are necessarily point-to-point because of the very nature of the inherently circuit-switched operations in GSM. A GPRS implementation must support both connectionless and connection-oriented network services within the rubric of the PTP services. Possible PTP services might include information retrieval, messaging services, credit card transactions, monitoring and surveillance, internet access, and the like.
All PTM services are based on the capability of sending information from one source to multiple destinations within a single service request. A GPRS implementation should support three categories of PTM services: (i) PTM Multicast, (ii) PTM Group Calls, and (iii) IP Multicast. In a PTM Multicast, a user, or subscriber, may send a message to some or all other subscribers in a specific geographical area. In a Group Call (as defined by ETSI), messages are sent only to those cells that are known to contain specific receivers associated with the call group. An Internet Protocol (IP) Multicast is the standard mechanism by which users belonging to a specific group can exchange messages over an IP protocol suite in GSM. Some possible PTM services might include distribution of news or weather reports, electronic advertisements, and dispatching services associated with fleets of vehicles.
A GPRS implementation must also support applications based on standard protocols for packet-mode data communication. These standards may include interworking procedures with known, or existing, IP and X.25 networks.
An important benefit of GPRS is that radio channels in GPRS are shared between multiple Mobile Stations (MS). Second, multiplexing on the air interface permits efficient support of bursty traffic. Yet another advantage, particularly attractive to subscribers is that a user of GPRS is billed for the amount of information transferred, not the time connected to the system, or the attach time.
As can be seen, the GPRS enhancement to GSM is a significant advancement in cellular communications. Heretofore, however, there are no known implementations of GPRS. GPRS requires both hardware and software additions and modifications to the existing GSM network. A GPRS implementation should be efficient, robust and cost effective.
There is therefore a need in the art for a hardware configuration, general packet radio services support node and method for implementing GPRS over GSM which is efficient, robust and cost effective.
This need is met by a hardware configuration, general packet radio services support node and method for implementing GPRS over GSM in accordance with the present invention. Certain aspects commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms the invention might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. Since the following is for summary purposes only, none of the aspects present below should be considered essential to the present invention, which is solely defined by the appended claims.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a hardware configuration for implementing general packet radio services over a global system for mobile communications network is provided. The hardware configuration may comprise a plurality of electronic boards for providing general packet radio services functionality. The electronic board communicate with each other via an internal bus and communicate with other external circuits via an external bus. This separation of communications provide performance advantages. The external bus is preferably an ATM bus which may support voice and/or data services.
The internal bus is preferably a peripheral component interconnect bus, or more particularly, a compact PCI bus. The plurality of electronic boards may comprise at least one single board computer for performing call control and simple network management protocol management. The plurality of electronic boards may further comprise at least one channel processing card.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a general packet radio services support node (GSN) for supporting general packet radio services over a global system for mobile communications network is provided. The GSN may comprise a single board computer for providing general packet radio services functionality which is required for each call being serviced and a line card processor for providing general packet radio services functionality which is required for each packet being serviced. The GSN may function as a SGSN, GGSN or both.
Preferably, when functioning as a SGSN, the single board computer supports one or more of radio resource management, authentication and mobility management. The radio resource management may comprise, for example, cell selection management, call path management and Um interface management. The mobility management may comprise, for example, line management and logical link establishment, maintenance and release. The line card processor may support, for example, an encryption function, a compression function or one or more of routing and tunneling functions. Preferably, when functioning as a GGSN, the single board computer may support, for example, session management functionality. The line card processor may support, for example, address translation functionality, access control functionality, or one or more of routing and tunneling functions.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for implementing general packet radio services over a global system for mobile communications network is provided. The method comprising the steps of: providing a general packet radio services support node having first and second computing devices; supporting general packet radio services functionality which is required for each call being serviced from the first computing device; and supporting general packet radio services functionality which is required for each packet being serviced from the second computing device.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.